Saturday, July 9, 2011

UPDATE: In case anyone's interested in trying the fantastic dried fruit or other products from Payson Fruit Growers, including the dried cherries I used for this salad, they're offering $3 off any order of $15 or more. The coupon code is 3off15 and will be valid for the next couple of months. Enjoy!

Does anyone still remember mychocolateseries? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't. What else could I expect when I'm the one who put it on the back-burner for over a month in favor of other festivities? Well fret not because we're getting this show back on the road for 2 more posts in this series. And I promise it's gonna end with a bang!

At the beginning of this series I promised to show you some "less common ways" for using chocolate. And there was no doubt in my mind already that at least one savory recipe would need to be included to truly fulfill that promise. A great idea I immediately came across was to add a little of the dark stuff to your chili. I did this with a pumpkin black bean chili I made last fall, and all I have to say about it is try it! You'll love the depth of flavor it adds.

But who wants to stew chili in the dead of summer? I chose instead to try this couscous salad with an exciting blend of fruits, nuts, herbs, and -- you guessed it -- chocolate! Between the orange zest, toasted pistachios, chopped mint, dried cherries, and cocoa, this salad had a lot going on...but in a good way. Fragrant and fresh, each ingredient held its own in every bite of this salad. Together they became nothing short of a beautiful harmony.

And I love the role that chocolate played in this composition. Rather than the bold starlet it's accustomed to being in desserts, chocolate stepped back to play subtle but steady support in this dish. Almost acting as a spice here, the addition of cocoa powder produced a warm nutty backdrop that worked superbly to balance the brightness of orange and mint.

I was lucky to get my hands on some great quality tart dried cherries for this salad. Payson Fruit Growers sent them to me for free to review, and I've honestly been very impressed. Their dried cherries are fresh, juicy, and not a bit too sweet -- great for cooking, baking, or just for eating out of hand. I also got some tart cherry juice concentrate from them that I'll tell you more about soon. But for now, let me just encourage you to play with chocolate in this or another savory dish =D.

Combine water, 1 teaspoon of oil, zest, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir couscous in, cover the pot, and remove from the heat. Let stand covered for about 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff couscous lightly with a fork.

Wow! This sounds like a party going on in the mouth! I have tried using chocolate in my beef stews and goulash and I do love the smoky, sultry quality it adds to the entire dish. Mmmm.. how about a whole course with dishes using chocolate? This lovely salad as a starter, goulash, and some kinda chocolate dessert ... whoo ... death by chocolate, literally. :D

I add cocoa powder to beans often including chili. But even tried it with Indian curries that cook for long. Its gives a great depth of flavor and color! but never thought of it in salad. Like totally amazing!

Xiaolu - this is an exciting recipe! All the wonderful stuff put together. You are right, cocoa powder is considered a spice based on the long history of cocoa trading. Hence, we have cocoa listed on our spices page. And it can certainly be used more widely in creating exciting recipes like yours. Love it!

Wow, I have never seen such a combination. Orange zest, pistachios and cocoa powder in a salad? That's amazing, man. Your recipe is truly unique and I loved the combination of ingredients used! Great pictures!! Would love to visit here again...

Wow, this looks amazing...What an innovative use of ingredients. I'm so excited to try it. I don't eat couscous so will use quinoa and am going to use barberries in place of the cherries. They're pretty tart so I think it should be a good substitute. Will let you know!

Emma, I have to say I love the sexy, in-your-face boldness of a dark chocolate baked good the best. I'm actually not as big a fan of super rich chocolate-only desserts as I am of chocolate of different textures together or with other ingredients used with restraint to compliment the chocolate (nuts or fruit). But I think it's important to acknowledge the different sides of chocolate to utilize it to its full potential :).

Thanks everyone! Harini, the cocoa is very subtle. Gives the whole salad a warm nutty taste. It's slightly sweet from the honey (you can replace with agave to make it vegan) with bursts of pistachio, cranberry, and the sweet zest of orange coming across in each bite. I really enjoyed it1

Wow, I am totally intrigued by the cocoa in this recipe and I can't wait to give it a try. A great salad for winter too when there aren't a lot of salad type vegetables around. Thanks for sharing it :-)Sue